6 Takeaways from Collision Conference 2017

[vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″ top_padding=”2″ bottom_padding=”1″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”2″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”85″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text] I’d be lying if I said my colleague Madison and I didn’t choose Collision to be our first conference based in part on location, because we definitely did. But, in addition to seeking lessons from design movers and trendsetters in attendance, I was searching for answers: How can we create original content in a space that demands it at breakneck speed?

Of course, when two gals announce they’ll be in New Orleans for a week, everyone expects to be flooded with selfies in the French Quarter and Snapchats of crawfish.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=”49451″ media_width_use_pixel=”yes” alignment=”center” media_width_pixel=”300″][vc_column_text](Although, we did sneak in a few requisite #humblebrag photos and crawfish.)

We spent most of our time at the PandaConf/creatiff stage, getting close and personal with a robot name Pepper and deciphering an emoji-fied presentation. #womenintech The Collision Conference was a robust series of smaller conferences covering everything from AI, startups and environmental tech to SaaS, development, data and design. In an industry with seemingly little time for such trivial things such as authenticity, speakers placed a considerable emphasis on failure, transparency and the value of- gasp- putting pen to paper.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=”yes” row_height_percent=”60″ back_color=”color-lxmt” back_image=”49452″ back_attachment=”fixed” back_position=”center center” parallax=”yes” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”85″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″ top_padding=”1″ bottom_padding=”1″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”2″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column column_width_percent=”85″ override_padding=”yes” column_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ medium_width=”0″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]We left New Orleans with a remarkable amount of information to consider, but there were five takeaways in particular from Collision that really resonated with us.

“Criticism isn’t just for haters, it’s inherently optimistic because it imagines a better world.”

“What can we do for women? Hire, invest and mentor. If you can’t hire or you can’t invest, mentor. “

Creative work in the ever-changing digital space requires keen emotional intelligence. You can’t fake authenticity. You’re going to fail at some point during the process, so just embrace it now. And if you’ve never been to New Orleans, find an excuse to go.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]